Many computing devices employ trusted platform modules (TPM) in the form of a secure cryptoprocessor for providing hardware-based security-related functions. The TPM is typically a cryptoprocessor chip integrated into the device via low pin count (LPC) interface, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) bus, and soldered to the printed circuit board (PCB). The computing device uses the cryptoprocessor chip to create security keys (e.g., Rivest, Shamir, Adleman (RSA) private keys) for the device, among other operations, which can be specific to hardware in the device to prevent unauthorized replication and use of the security keys by other devices.
In some applications, a certificate authority can create digital certificates that a device can use in communicating with one or more other devices in a network by providing the digital certificate(s) to prove authentication to the one or more other devices. For example, the one or more other devices may include a router or other component for accessing a WiFi network. In such applications, the device can use the TPM to generate one or more keys to sign the digital certificate. This allows the one or more other devices receiving the digital certificate to ensure the digital certificate is received from a trusted source, e.g., based on verifying the one or more keys used to sign the digital certificate.